Danny Foley returned to his home in Meen, Listowel on Monday evening after being collected from the Midlands Prison by his mother Margaret earlier that day. The 39-year-old had been in custody since December 2009 when he received a seven year sentence, two of which were suspended, for sexually assaulting a young mother in June 2008.

Mr Foley's case sparked national outrage after he was convicted when up to 50 Listowel locals filed past his victim in court to shake hands with and embrace him at his sentencing hearing. Castlegregory PP, Fr Sean Sheehy, also came under fire at the time when he told the sentencing hearing that Foley was "a man with the highest respect for women who didn't have an abusive bone in his body."

Throughout the trial, Mr Foley always maintained his innocence and to this day his family insist that he was wrongly convicted.